


Sing me to Sleep

by ged565



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Birthday, Comfort/Angst, Confessions, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Sacrifice, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:21:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11640744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ged565/pseuds/ged565
Summary: It's Lance's birthday, and the paladins are throwing a surprise party for him. Or...are they?This was written as having 2 acts, so I'll just separate them into 2 separate chapters.





	1. ACT 1

(ACT 1)

Everything was pitch black, and cold, and...empty. Lance couldn’t quite place a name to the feeling. All he knew was that it was so strangely, sickeningly familiar, as if it was something he should be used to, but wasn’t. He’d felt alone many times, but this was different...it felt like, for the first time ever, he was the very embodiment of loneliness itself...not quite one with the world... But amidst the vast, endless void he felt inside, he could hear a single voice splitting through the darkness. It was singing, just for him. Singing him to sleep.

“...py birthday to you…” All at once, warmth began flooding Lance’s body and the lifeless darkness was chased away, consumed by light in nearly an instant the same way light spreads throughout a room when you flip a light switch. 

Lance gasped, feeling air fill his lungs and colors fill his vision as his eyes shot wide open. He panted, looking around him. He was sitting in a chair at the table in the castle of lions, and in front of him on the table was a white and blue marble cake. There were blue candles and blue wave designs on it along with a dolphin, and in bold, blue capital letters, it read, ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANCE’. 

“What…” Lance began to say, but he was cut off by a hand on his shoulder. He nearly jumped out of his chair as he turned to see the rest of the paladins standing around him along with Allura and Coran. The six of them flashed him a smile, and it was Shiro who had put a hand on his shoulder. Lance felt his heart swell with happiness at the sight of them all.

“Hey, what gives? You like, totally spaced out while we were singing to you.” Keith grumbled, although he said it with a smile. Lance found himself smiling back at Keith as he rubbed his eyes into his sleeve quickly. 

“Sorry, I’m just...really happy!” This comment made the others all give him even larger smiles. Pidge glanced between them mischievously.

“Of course you’re upset about that, Keith. You sang the loudest, after all.” Keith’s face reddened as he turned to Pidge in denial.

“I did not!” Pidge chuckled at that.

“Oh yes you did! You were the most excited out of all of us for this day. You came up with all the decorations for the rooms and stuff...trust me Lance, we couldn’t have thrown this party without Keith.” Both boys’ faces reddened slightly as Lance turned to Keith, who refused to meet his gaze. 

“W-well, what about Hunk! Hunk made the cake from scratch! He’s the one to thank.” Keith said quickly. Hunk scratched the back of his head. 

“Well, you worked just as hard as me, but really none of it would’ve been possible if Shiro and Pidge hadn’t found all the necessary decorations and supplies at the Space Mall.” Shiro grinned at that.

“Yeah, but we should thank the Princess and Coran for letting us throw this party and decorate the entire castle in the first place.” Allura and Coran smiled.

“Of course we would. It is Lance, after all. Everything he does is extreme, I doubt he’d have settled for a small party.” Coran nodded to everything Allura said, raising his finger to add a statement of his own.

“Besides, birthdays have always been important for Alteans, although they are just a tad different. Why, it seems like only yesterday when we were celebrating my...wait a tick. Say, Princess? How old am I again?” Everybody in the room erupted into laughter as Coran just looked between them, complaining about how he was asking a serious question. 

Lance wiped at a tear in the corner of his eye, laughing and feeling more uplifted than ever as he learned how his friends, or rather, the members of his second family had each worked hard for this day; all for him. He slowly calmed down from his laughter and noticed Keith had been watching him laugh. He flashed the red paladin a sincere smile, and Keith’s eyes widened in a way that said, ‘oh quiznak, I’ve been discovered’. He looked away as if it wasn’t too late, making Lance’s heart swell from how cute he was acting, like a cat that wanted attention but was too proud to ask for it. 

“Wow guys...I don’t know what to say.” Lance said, speaking from the heart as the others calmed down from their laughter as well. Pidge nudged the chair Lance was sitting in.

“Well what are you waiting for? Make a wish!” Lance looked at the candles, their firelight flickering in his eyes. He remembered how alone he had felt when he had spaced out while they sang for him and how they had made him feel so warm inside. He wanted this to last forever. 

Lance leaned forward, his heart and mind set on his wish. As he blew out the candles, he pictured this moment in his head, him sitting in that room with all six members of his second family around him. 

_‘I wish I could relive this day forever’._

__He sat still, eyes slowly opening as he watched the smoke drift from the blown out candles. It felt like the world stood still for a while as he appreciated the simple beauty of making a wish surrounded by people you love. Coran broke the silence by whispering to Allura, thinking nobody could hear him when in reality they could all hear him perfectly._ _

__“I can’t tell. Did his wish come true?” Allura seemed just as confused as she whispered back to him._ _

__“I’m not sure. I don’t exactly understand how Earth magic works.” They all began laughing again as Coran and Allura looked at each other quizzically, muttering about how they’d been asking a serious question._ _

__“I guess the tradition of blowing out candles isn’t a thing in Altean culture, huh.” Lance said, smiling as he leaned back against the chair. Hunk came forward with plates and a knife. He and Lance exchanged a smile before the yellow paladin began cutting into the cake and putting slices on plates. Pidge grabbed one, raising her finger._ _

__“We can eat the cake while we play the boardgames that Shiro and I bought from the Space Mall!” Lance raised an eyebrow at Pidge in amusement._ _

__“You seem pretty excited, don’t you?” Pidge pushed up her glasses with her pointer finger, lenses shining ominously._ _

__“I took time to observe all the rules and different play styles in these alien board games, so naturally I’m going to crush you all.” Lance stood up suddenly to point at Pidge, startling Hunk and making him stumble backwards a bit._ _

__“You’re on, Number 5!”_ _

__“Hey, that’s my thing!” Coran said as Pidge and Lance stared each other down competitively._ _

__“Hey, maybe next time don’t try to knock over the guy holding a knife!” Hunk suggested, but he was mostly ignored. Allura walked forward, grabbing a plate of cake as Hunk finished slicing seven pieces._ _

__“Well then, let’s move over to a room more suitable, yes?” She lead the way as the others grabbed pieces of cake before following after her. Lance got up to follow when he noticed Keith seeming to hang back a bit; without a slice of cake. Lance smiled, taking two plates and running to catch up._ _

__“Hey! You forgot your slice of cake.” Keith just blinked at him and the plates in his hands as he stopped to let Lance run up to him._ _

__“Uh, I’m good. Not much of a sweet tooth anyway.” Lance shoved a plate of cake into Keith’s arms, forcing him to hold it as he grinned._ _

__“It’s my birthday, Keith! You don’t have a choice! You’ve gotta do everything I say!” Keith looked at the cake in his hands before looking back at Lance and sighing._ _

__“Fine. But don’t think you’re special just because it’s your birthday.” Lance continued grinning as they walked together to catch up with the other five._ _

__“Duh! I’m special because I’m me, not because of my birthday!” Lance felt himself fill with warmth as he watched Keith smile._ _

__“Yeah...I guess...that’s right.” Lance’s face reddened at that. Did Keith just agree that he was special just because he was him? The two of them stopped walking, looking at each other and trying to read what the other was thinking. They must’ve stayed that way for an entire minute, staring each other down with their hearts leaping out of their chests towards each other, before a cough finally interrupted them._ _

__“If you’re not gonna kiss, then come sit down and play.” Pidge said. Lance and Keith’s eyes widened as they looked away from each other. They hadn’t even realized they’d already entered the room and that the others had just been watching them look at each other._ _

__“S-sorry.” Keith said, walking over and sitting down. Lance’s face was even redder than before, because Keith hadn’t even gone into denial about Pidge suggesting they kiss. He slowly walked over and took a seat next to Keith. They were all sitting around a board, looking at Pidge as she began to explain the rules of the game “Dreamland”._ _

__As soon as they started playing the game, they quickly learned a few things about each other. First, they learned that Keith was terrible at board games. He kept forgetting rules and asking what certain things in the game meant. Lance would lean over and help Keith with the game whenever he needed, but of course there was always a lot of teasing involved, and after just a few minutes Keith was already madly embarrassed from Lance picking on him. In addition to Lance’s teasing, Pidge also took advantage of Keith’s lack of board game knowledge, only, she was a tad more...extreme. And that was the second thing they learned. Pidge was ruthless, a menace, even. She targeted Keith in the game mercilessly, giving him no chance to figure out what was even happening._ _

__They played board games for hours, but no matter which game they played, Pidge won every time. They even switched to playing traditional Earth card games, but Pidge still went undefeated for the night._ _

__“I’m the birthday boy, don’t you think you could give me at least one win?” Lance complained as he threw his cards down on the floor. “I mean seriously, how do you win six games of ‘Go Fish’ in a row?”_ _

__“I still don’t understand how fishes have anything to do with the cards.” Allura said offhandedly as Pidge gave them a smug look._ _

__“That’s what they call a natural born winn-” She was cut off as they all heard snoring from beside her. Hunk was sleeping with his head laying on the furniture behind him. They all smiled as Shiro stood up, stretching his arms over his head._ _

__“Alright, I think that’s our cue, Paladins. Time for us to head to bed.” Allura yawned behind her hand briefly before turning to the others._ _

__“This was certainly a fun and educational night. You know, I think we all needed this.” The others nodded as Coran stood up, offering Allura his hand._ _

__“Let’s get you to bed, Princess.” He said. She took his hand and they left the room, leaving just the five paladins. Lance fell back to lay on the floor, stretching and yawning._ _

__“I guess we should bring Hunk to his room.” Pidge said, standing up. Keith also stood._ _

__“Here, I’ll help you.” Pidge laughed nervously, putting her hands up._ _

__“Oh, actually, Shiro was gonna help me.” Shiro scratched the top of his head._ _

__“I was?” Pidge elbowed him. He flinched, grabbing the part of his arm she elbowed. The two of them looked at each other, sharing a silent conversation before Shiro turned back to Lance and Keith. “Right! Pidge and I will bring Hunk back to his room. Why don’t the two of you clean up here?” Pidge gave a thumbs up as Shiro put Hunk’s arm around his neck and began walking out of the room. Pidge just followed him, since she was too short to help him much. Keith sighed, watching them leave before kneeling down to clean up the cards._ _

__“Oh, here! Let me help!” Lance sat back up and reached over to help, but Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist before he could pick up a card. Lance felt his heart leap in his chest for a brief moment upon feeling Keith’s skin against his skin._ _

__“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll clean up. You’re probably tired.” Lance just blinked at him, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees._ _

__“Yeah, but you’re tired too. There’s no reason for you to do all the work.” Keith didn’t seem to change his mind at all as he once again got in the way of Lance trying to reach for some cards._ _

__“Well, sure I’m tired, but you shouldn’t have to help. After all, today is your…” Keith paused everything he was doing, making Lance raise an eyebrow. He waited for Keith to say ‘birthday’. “I mean...you’re special because you’re you.” Lance’s eyes widened as his cheeks flushed. He could see Keith’s face was also red as he gulped, and then, he slowly turned his head to look Lance in the eyes. Lance had every intention of turning away out of embarrassment, but as soon as their eyes locked, he couldn’t look away. Keith was clearly just as embarrassed, but he was making a conscious decision to be brave by looking at Lance, and it made Lance want to take it all in with his own eyes. Keith was making an effort for him._ _

__“Was today fun?” Keith asked, his voice soft and hopeful. Lance could feel his heart pounding in his chest, eyes moving down from Keith’s eyes to fixate on his glistening pink lips. Lance’s tongue subconsciously went over his own lips, wetting them. He realized he had gone a bit too long without replying and quickly met Keith’s gaze again with a smile._ _

__“I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.” That made Keith return his smile, and Lance’s body began moving on his own, because if Keith had been brave enough to take the first step and look at him in this situation then he was going to be brave enough to take the next step. Instead of reaching for the cards on the ground, Lance’s hand rested on top of Keith’s. “Thank you, Keith.” He said. Keith looked at their hands and turned his around so that his palm was facing Lance’s palm. Their fingers slowly curled together before intertwining completely. They could feel the heat of each other’s hands, and that only made them squeeze each other harder as they realized how nervous they both were._ _

__“I’ve been, uh...watching you all day...but of course, there was no time for us to talk alone, so…” Keith trailed off, squeezing Lance’s hand tighter. Lance squeezed back. He understood. Lance knew how he felt about Keith, and he had always suspected that Keith could feel the same way back, but what they were doing right now was the biggest step either of them had ever taken towards admitting things to each other. They felt like if they let go of each other’s hand, they’d let go of their courage with it, and this golden moment would wash away like petals in a current of water._ _

__“Well, we’re alone now.” Lance said, scooting closer towards Keith. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes, and their faces began getting closer and closer as if they were drawn to each other’s gaze. They only noticed how close they were getting once their hair began brushing, and both boys immediately froze. Neither of them tried to back away, but neither of them moved forward, either. Their hands pressed together harder as Lance’s lips quivered. Were they ready for this?_ _

__“Lance…” Lance’s name floated off of Keith’s lips like a feather in the wind, blowing by his cheek and caressing his entire being. Keith’s eyelids were already lidded, indicating that he was waiting for Lance to move in on him, and he was quivering just as much as Lance was. He had to do this. Of course they were ready. Lance loved Keith and Keith loved him, and that was how it was always going to be from now on._ _

__Lance moved forward with his whole body, pressing his mouth onto Keith’s. The moment their lips touched, Keith gave a moan of passion and moved his body into Lance’s as he wrapped himself around the adorable red paladin. His hand cupped Keith’s chin and tilted it upward to give him better access as his other hand wrapped around Keith’s shoulders and stroked his mullet affectionately. Keith’s mouth was hot, in all instances of the word. Lance could feel heat and passion spreading throughout his entire body, lighting him up and setting fire to his insides. His heart thumped and his chest heaved as they slowly parted, panting for air. Lance took one look at Keith’s vulnerable red face and decided he didn’t need air all that much, moving his head forward and connecting their mouths once more. Keith gasped into the kiss, and as his body began shuffling backwards from the passion and pressure of the moment, Lance’s body scooted forward until Keith was lying on the floor and Lance was on all fours on top of him. His mouth left Keith’s lips and moved down to his neck, where Lance began nuzzling him lovingly._ _

__“Lance...that’s enough…” Keith muttered, pushing against Lance’s chest to stop him. They stared at each other, both of them sweaty and panting and hot. Keith’s tongue ran over his lips, as if savoring Lance’s taste, and that made him want to go down on Keith all over again. But he didn’t. Instead, he got off of Keith and sat back, letting him sit up and recompose himself. “Let’s not go any further than that tonight.” Keith said. Lance nodded and moved his hand forward to stroke the side of Keith’s head._ _

__“I love you, Keith.” He said, his heart bursting at finally being able to say those words. Keith’s hand moved up, placing itself over Lance’s hand on his cheek. He sighed pleasantly, leaning his head into their hands._ _

__“I love you, too, Lance.” Their eyes met for the first time with the knowledge that they truly loved each other, and they could see it written all over the other’s face. Lance gulped before summoning his courage._ _

__“So...are we...boyfriends now?” Keith seemed to hesitate for a second, but Lance could tell it was purely out of nerves as he shuffled around a bit._ _

__“...of course we are.” Keith muttered. Lance felt his mouth shape into what must’ve been the stupidest grin of all time._ _

__“Best birthday ever with the best present ever!” Lance said, winking at Keith. His comment and wink made the black haired boy blush._ _

__“...geez, you’re such a dork.” Lance leaned forward, grinning._ _

__“And you’re such a cutie.” Keith shoved Lance playfully as he chuckled at seeing this gently flustered side of Keith. Suddenly, they both noticed the cards spread out on the floor of the room, having been long forgotten amidst their confessions and revelations. Lance began to pick them up, but Keith held his wrist, stopping Lance and making them look at each other. “You’re not going to go on about how I’m too special to just pick up cards again, are you?” He teased. Keith blushed, but shook his head._ _

__“No, I just...we’ll…” Keith picked up some cards too before looking at Lance with a smile. “We can clean up together.” Lance’s heart stopped beating as he lost himself in Keith’s smile. It was such a rare sight, and Lance wanted to preserve it forever. He smiled back and nodded at Keith._ _

__“Yeah. Sounds good.” The two of them cleaned up the cards from the floor, taking their time so that they had more time together. Lance honestly suspected that they were being watched by Pidge and Shiro, but no matter where or how many times he looked, he couldn’t find them peeking around any corners, so maybe he was just paranoid._ _

__After they finished cleaning up, they prepared to part to their rooms and turn in for the night. Both of them paused to look at each other in the middle of the hallway and hold hands, two bumbling bundles of love and affection._ _

__“Sweet dreams, firefly.” Lance grinned as Keith’s face went red._ _

__“Don’t call me that…” He muttered, shoving his hand against Lance’s chest gently and playfully. Lance chuckled as they leaned together and pecked each other on the lips. “Good night.” Keith said. They went to their respective rooms, and Lance finally let go of all the breaths he’d been holding, leaning against his closed door and clutching his chest._ _

__That had all really just happened. He and Keith were boyfriends now._ _

__He slumped down until he was sitting against his door, eyes shut in euphoria as his breathing calmed down. He couldn’t stop thinking about this entire day, and that was fine with him. He couldn’t stop thinking about how it had been the perfect birthday. How his second family had come together secretly to throw this party for him. How they had lifted his spirits at the exact moment when he was beginning to feel lost and alone. How Keith had worked up all his courage to push them both to confess. How Keith had looked when they finally confessed. How Keith had tasted when they kissed for the first time. How Keith had sounded as he became a puddle beneath Lance. How Keith had felt as their bodies intertwined while kissing._ _

__Lance was filled with so many pleasant thoughts that he couldn’t even feel the uncomfortableness of the floor that he was still just sitting on. The only thing that would’ve made this birthday even more perfect was if he had gotten to see his family back on Earth, but he knew that was impossible. He had a duty to the universe, after all._ _

__He began to drift off to sleep right there, leaning his back against the door, dreaming of Keith._ _

__His last thoughts were of how he and Keith had paused together before leaving to their rooms. How they had been so reluctant to part ways. How they had looked at each other so fondly, so in love, as if that was the last time they’d ever see each other again._ _

__But obviously, that was just paranoia. After all, Lance would see Keith again as soon as he woke up._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (END ACT 1. PROCEED TO ACT 2)
> 
> WARNING: It may get confusing, but just keep reading


	2. ACT 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Lance's birthday. If only that meant something to anyone other than him.

(ACT 2)

Everything was pitch black, and cold, and...empty. Lance had never felt this way before. Sure, he’d felt alone many times, but this was different...it felt like, for the first time ever, he was the embodiment of loneliness itself...not quite one with the world... And amidst the vast, endless void he felt inside, there was no light. There was no comfort. There was only…nothingness.

Lance awoke with a start, eyes flashing open to meet the darkness in his room. He could feel sweat covering his body, making his bedsheet stick to his back. For a while he simply lay still in bed, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on his face. He didn’t have the energy to even move. Didn’t have the energy to cry anymore. 

_Didn’t have the energy to go on. ___

__It wasn’t that Lance was upset. He wasn’t even angry, really. After all, he could only blame himself for getting his hopes up. He really should’ve seen this coming. Should’ve expected that none of the other paladins would care enough to even acknowledge his birthday. Not even Hunk, or Pidge, or…_ _

_Keith. ___

____Just thinking about that made Lance’s heart ache. He felt stupid. So stupid. For the entirety of the week, he had been dropping Keith subtle hints and flirting with him even more than usual. Lance had made up his mind that, on his 18th birthday, he would find a way to confess his love to Keith. He had foolishly expected that they would struggle to find alone time for his confession because the others would all be congratulating him at every turn. Truly, he had been so foolish. And it wasn’t like they were obligated to acknowledge his birthday or do anything for him. After all, they weren’t his family or anything. Lance’s only family was back on Earth, probably mourning him since today was his birthday._ _ _ _

____Sometimes, Lance liked to think of the paladins as his second family. It made him feel a little more loved, a little more included. But he knew these thoughts were just to make himself feel better. The paladins didn’t see him as family, and he understood that. It was just unfortunate that he had gotten so wrapped up in his feelings that he had begun to see them in a way that wasn’t mutual. It was an unrequited love, not just towards Keith, but towards all of them. And that was the thing that had Lance laying in bed, sleeping away his birthday of all days, going through nightmare after nightmare._ _ _ _

____He heard a bunch of noise outside his room, and somewhere in the back of his head, he remembered that they had been working to liberate a planet, and today was the day Allura had decided they would strike and free the citizens once and for all._ _ _ _

____There was a knock on his door, and when Lance didn’t respond, the person who knocked entered on their own. Light filtered into the room as the door slid open, revealing none other than Keith. The red paladin looked around nervously before he saw Lance looking at him, still on his back._ _ _ _

____“Hey man,” Keith said softly, walking over to him. “It’s nearing time for us to launch our ambush on the Galra holding this planet captive. You...have you been sleeping this whole time?” Lance just nodded as he sat up, eyes still trying to adjust to the light in the room. Having Keith stand in front of him just made things even brighter._ _ _ _

____“Alright, tell Allura I’m sorry I’m late. Again. Like usual.” There was a pause as Lance stood and he and Keith looked at each other for a few seconds. “I’ll finish getting into my armor quickly.” Lance walked past Keith only to be stopped when the soft spoken boy put a hand on Lance’s shoulder._ _ _ _

____“Hey...are you okay? You know, I...there are things I’m not supposed to tell you, but...I don’t mind telling you if you’re feeling down…” Lance paused for a while, surprised and curious as to what Keith was talking about. He shook it away though and turned to give Keith one of his signature forced grins._ _ _ _

____“Aw, look at you, always so dark and broody. I’m tired is all, Allura’s been having us do quite a bit of work with this planet, you know? So I’ve been catching up on some sleep.” He walked away to grab his paladin armor. “Remember, apologize to them for me for being late!”_ _ _ _

____Keith was left looking at his back, and had no choice but to mutter an agreement and leave to catch up with the others. As soon as he was alone again, Lance put away his grin and put on his paladin armor. It was time to go to war. He didn’t want to go to war. It was already enough of a war in his head and in his chest. It was time to fight. He didn’t feel like fighting anymore. But that didn’t mean he was going to give up. He had his family to think about, both his real one and the paladins. Even though his real family probably thought he was dead...well, he didn’t want to think about that right now. And as for the paladins, even though they didn’t see Lance the same way, he would still give his life for any one of them._ _ _ _

____He shook his head to clear it. He had a job to do right now, so he was going to do it. No way was he going to get so hung up on a stupid birthday that he wouldn’t be able to focus on the mission. But even as Lance told himself that and walked out of his room, he could feel the demons swirling in his head, just as strong as ever._ _ _ _

_____It’s not like they need my life, anyways._ _ _ _ _

______\----------_ _ _ _ _ _

______The fight against the Galra was intense, but it was going in the favor of the paladins. Voltron had managed to destroy most of the Galra structures that dotted the planet, and now Lance and Keith were on foot, freeing the residents from their underground prisons as the other lions resumed battle with multiple Galra ships._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lance was in the lead as they ran through a series of tunnels, following the directions they’d received from the castle’s scanners. There were a group of Galra sentries up ahead, and Lance motioned to Keith to stop as they hid behind the corner._ _ _ _ _ _

______“How much further up?” Keith asked. Lance kept his eye on the sentries, having already memorized the route._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Should be just a few more tunnels.” He felt Keith looking at him with concern, but he ignored it. The thoughts in his head were still there, and the ache in his heart was still eating at him, reminding him of what he meant to the other paladins. He did his best to ignore it, focusing everything he had completely on the mission at hand. Because of this, he came off as more serious than usual, and that was most likely what had Keith looking at him like he was a stranger._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m going in.” Lance said. Without waiting for Keith to reply, Lance turned the corner and began shooting at the Sentries. They immediately shot back at him, so he ducked back around the corner as they advanced. As soon as they got too close, Keith jumped out, slashing the remaining ones in half. He panted slightly before turning to look at Lance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That was reckless! You didn’t even activate your shield!” Lance just walked past Keith, proceeding down the now empty tunnel. “Lance!” Keith yelled, running after him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It turned out alright, didn’t it?” Lance said simply. That silenced Keith for a while as they walked without talking. It seemed that the red paladin had merely been gathering his thoughts, however, because Lance suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. They stopped walking as Lance’s heart tightened in his chest._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Lance...I think I know what’s wrong, but...did you want to tell me about it?” Lance stared down at the ground._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith, we’re on a mission. We shouldn’t be talking about this right now.” Keith’s grip on his shoulder got harder as he pulled and forced Lance to turn and look at him. Lance’s eyes widened as he saw the amount of worry on Keith’s face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know that, but honestly...I think it’s more important that we talk about this. It’s obviously affecting you and how you go about the mission, and…” Keith broke eye contact. “And I really don’t want to see you this way.” They stood silently for a bit before Lance sighed, looking downcast to the side. He opened his mouth to say he was fine, but Keith spoke first._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Happy birthday, Lance.” Lance’s eyes widened as his head immediately went up to meet Keith’s gaze. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest and his body shaking ever so slightly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You mean...you remembered?” Keith sighed, and his hand drooped down Lance’s shoulder until it was at his wrist._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Lance...we all remembered. We were just...really trying to surprise you.” Lance’s entire being was shaken a second time upon hearing that. Keith saw this and took his hand, squeezing it. “It...it was my idea. We had this huge surprise party planned for you after we won this battle. But we wanted it to be a total surprise, so we decided not to so much as mention your birthday until the big moment. But now I see how stupid that was…” Lance could feel tears well up in his eyes as Keith’s eyes softened in apology. “I’m sorry that we made you feel forgotten, Lance. None of us could ever forget you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Lance swallowed the saliva that had accumulated in his mouth from listening to Keith’s explanation and apology. The warmth of his hand quickly spread throughout Lance’s body, feeding him comfort and reassurance that Keith was telling him the truth, that the paladins could never forget about him. And all at once, Lance felt immense regret. He felt regretful and stupid and weak for ever doubting them._ _ _ _ _ _

______The tears began to pour down his cheek as he thought about how he’d told himself he and the paladins weren’t family. He’d been so absorbed in his own self pity. Somehow, Keith seemed to understand that he was feeling all of this from just him crying as he stepped forward to embrace Lance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s our fault, Lance. Okay? Not yours. It was all us.” Lance did his best to nod into Keith’s shoulder as he cried, not just about his feelings regarding his birthday, but about everything. He’d been holding all his feelings inside regarding his family back on Earth and regarding feeling like he wasn’t good enough, even refusing to cry himself to sleep when he was alone in his room. Now, all of those sentiments were bubbling out of Lance in one single momentous burst of emotion._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You don’t have to feel alone. We’re all going to make it through this together, because we all need each other and we’re all important. You hear me? You’re important. You’re special.” Lance pressed his head against Keith’s neck._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...how? What makes me special?” There was a slight pause. Then, Keith tightened their embrace, and his next words sent electricity through Lance’s body._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...you’re special because you’re you. Okay?” Lance’s crying got worse, and he just nodded into Keith’s shoulder again, taking in his comforting words and letting them travel straight to his heart. They stayed embraced for a few minutes before Lance pulled himself away, wiping at his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith...thank you. But I think we should go. I’m fine now. Thank you.” Keith looked him over before nodding, giving him a reassuring smile. Lance returned it, his spirits significantly lifted all thanks to this stupid red mullet boy who he was in love with. “And for the record, I’ll still act like I’m surprised when they throw that party for me, don’t worry!” Keith snickered at that as they began running through the tunnel, eager to finish this mission now. As they turned the corner, they saw a prison full of a bunch of aliens who resided on this planet. Keith stepped forward and placed his hand on the identification scanner, getting the cell to open up due to his Galra blood._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Come on.” Lance instructed, waving his arm for the citizens to follow them._ _ _ _ _ _

______They began running through the tunnels towards the surface, where they would take shelter with Allura in the castle until Voltron finished cleansing the planet of all Galra. Keith took the lead this time with Lance behind him, smiling as he watched his back. Keith had said the party had been his idea, and the thought of that made Lance’s heart spin with happiness. He was for sure telling Keith how he felt by the end of today, no questions asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______They peeked out from a hole leading to the surface._ _ _ _ _ _

______“How’s it look?” Lance asked as Keith poked his front half out before coming back down to look at them._ _ _ _ _ _

______“There’s quite a bit of fighting, but it’ll be fine as long as we block any stray bullets with our shields.” Lance nodded before turning and giving the citizens a thumbs up. They chorused their gratitude as Lance and Keith turned to look at each other with a smile. “Alright...let’s go!” Keith shouted, jumping out of the hole. Lance and the alien citizens followed him out, racing across the battlefield towards the Castle of Lions. Both paladins activated their shields, blocking every shot the Galra fired at them. As they ran, they heard a shout. Lance turned around to see one of the younger citizens had fallen and was injured._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stay with the others!” Keith commanded as he ran past Lance and back towards the soldier and the citizen. Lance was about to do as he was told when he noticed a Galra soldier sneak behind a nearby pillar, waiting in ambush. Keith didn’t seem to notice as he ran towards the injured alien. From where he was positioned, any shot he took at the Galra would only hit the pillar. In that case, he had only one option._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith!” Lance shouted, running after him. He went as fast as his legs would carry him, not about to lose the one person who could understand him and cure his insecurities. As Keith knelt down by the alien’s side, the Galra soldier leaped out from where he was hiding, like a predator pouncing on its prey. Everything moved in slow motion from there as Lance shouted Keith’s name again. He briefly remembered earlier that day, when he’d thought to himself that he would readily give up his life for any of the paladins. At that moment, he thought to himself that that couldn’t be more true. And at that moment, he thought to himself that it applied even moreso for Keith. Lance could give up his life for Keith. Lance would give up his life for Keith._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lance was going to give up his life for Keith._ _ _ _ _ _

______He didn’t even hear anything; he just felt the blade slice through his flesh as he shoved Keith aside, letting the Galra sword puncture his side and slash his vital organs. He heard a shout, but at this point he wasn’t sure if it was his or Keith’s or even the Galra’s. Either way, it was a shout of immense pain._ _ _ _ _ _

______He lay on the ground, not even feeling when he had collapsed against it, his eyes half lidded as two figures clashed swords above him. His entire body felt numb. The wound wasn’t even super painful anymore. Maybe it was because it wasn’t actually that serious of an injury? He doubted that. Despite the limited amount of things he could feel, the blood pooling beneath him was, for whatever reason, something he could feel. As was the life draining from him as Keith slashed at the Galra soldier. His eyes were basically closed and he could barely make out the two figures, but he knew which one was Keith. He’d recognize Keith anywhere._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey. Hey, come on. Look at me.” He hadn’t even realized when he’d closed his eyes, but he felt a hand tenderly touching his cheek and his head felt like it was being cradled. Scratch that, his entire body felt like it was being cradled. He slowly opened his eyes to see Keith looking down at him, a soft smile spreading across his face as he saw Lance’s eyes open. “Hey.” He repeated. Lance managed to smile up at him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey.” He copied. Keith seemed to look over his body, a look of desperation on his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh my god…there’s so much blood...” He choked on his own saliva, and his eyes seemed wetter than normal. “Oh my god...it’s okay Lance, you’re...you’ll be okay.” Lance just looked deeply into Keith’s eyes, feeling his fingers caress his cheek._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith…” Lance muttered out weakly. Keith seemed to grasp onto every sound he made as his head went forward slightly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes? What is it Lance?” Lance forced his muscles to work through sheer will, moving his hand slowly until it was on top of Keith’s hand that was on his cheek._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...are you...hurt?” Keith’s eyes glimmered with wetness as he let out a pained choke._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What?” His voice was breathy. “What the hell are you saying? Why are you asking about me?” Lance seemed to ponder this for a second. God, it was so hard to think right now. Everything was fuzzy, like the black and white buzz of a TV. Finally, he found an answer he thought was acceptable._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Because...you’re fragile...mmm…” He wet his mouth a bit as Keith shifted his hand against his cheek. “Nn...can’t...can’t watch you get hurt…” Lance breathed out. He felt something wet fall on his cheek. He looked up and saw tears falling from Keith’s eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stop that...you’re so stupid, worry about yourself for once…” Keith’s voice came out in sobs, and he seemed to be shaking. Lance didn’t like that. Didn’t want to see Keith like that. His hand tightened against Keith’s; or at least he tried to make it tighten. He wasn’t sure if it worked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey...this kinda reminds me of...of that bonding moment we once had...don’t you think?” Keith trembled as he held Lance’s body closer to his own._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Y-yeah...yeah, you’re right...b-because, last time, you were just fine…” Lance stirred. His head rolled a bit in Keith’s lap, but his eyes never left Keith’s._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And...and we were always rivals...Lance and Keith, neck in neck…” Keith’s chin trembled especially hard._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What are you saying?” He breathed out. “Why are you saying that?” Lance wasn’t sure why he was saying this. For some reason, all the memories he had with Keith were flooding his brain all at once, making a collage of his love story. He didn’t bother to explain this strange phenomenon out loud as he paused to take a few breaths before continuing._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And...and I was always beside him...he was so cool…” Lance began coughing as Keith held him closer. “He...didn’t know but...I wanted to be just like him…” Keith was swallowing hard as more tears fell from his eyes and onto Lance’s face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stop.” Keith begged. “Stop talking like that.” Once again, Lance continued as if he hadn’t heard a word Keith said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I thought...I thought he was the best at everything...he was so cool...I wanted to be just like him...because...because if I’m as good as him then...then I’m good enough to do anything...because he...he could do anything…” Keith cradled Lance, moving his head up from his lap and holding him against his stomach._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stop saying things like that…stop talking like that…” Lance stared up at Keith’s face and, through sheer will, once again moved his arm to wipe at Keith’s tears._ _ _ _ _ _

______“When I started to get to know him some more, I…” Keith shook his head, grabbing Lance’s hand to stop it from touching his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Stop it. Shut up, Lance.” He whispered. Lance’s eyes slowly began closing. “Lance? Lance!” Keith desperately but lightly hit Lance’s face, making his eyes open back up._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mmm...what?” Lance said, his head feeling like mush. He couldn’t even remember what he had been saying before as more tears fell onto his face. Keith’s lips had blood from how hard he was biting himself._ _ _ _ _ _

______“St-stay awake Lance.” Lance blinked weakly before sighing in complaint._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mmm...no… ‘m tired…” His eyes began shutting again, but Keith gently slapped him some more._ _ _ _ _ _

______“N-no...stay awake. You slept all day, right? Come on, you can’t still be tired.” Lance’s eyes slowly opened again._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...you’re ri-ght-!” Lance was interrupted by coughing, blood spewing from his mouth all over his chin and in front of him onto Keith’s armor. His body shook violently as Keith held him more. “Mm...Keith… ‘m gonna die, aren’t I?” Keith blinked more tears out of his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Y-you? Die? As if.” Keith forced himself to smile weakly. He bent forward so that their foreheads were touching. Lance sighed at the touch. They lay still for a while before Lance spoke up again._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith...tell me...what would the birthday party have been like?” Keith’s eyes trembled._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why? That would ruin the surprise if I told you, don’t you think?” More tears fell onto Lance’s face as the bleeding boy turned a bit in Keith’s arms, coughing again._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mmm...did Hunk...did he make me a cake?” Keith cried silently for a few seconds before slowly nodding._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...yeah, he made you a blue cake...had your name, a dolphin, everything…” Lance’s mouth curled up into a small smile._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...bet it’s...it’s delicious…” Keith let out more choked sobs before looking back down at Lance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And Pidge and Shiro, they spent all day at a space mall, looking for decorations and games to play.” Lance’s mouth formed an even larger smile as his eyes got smaller and smaller._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...but what about...about Coran and...princess...they said...yeah?” Keith chuckled sadly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course they did!” He caressed Lance’s cheek. “No one could say no to a party for you!” Lance was showing his teeth in his smile now as he looked up at Keith._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Really?” Keith swallowed his saliva before nodding. Lance leaned his head into Keith’s touch._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That makes me...happy. Tell me...what else the party would have been like…” Keith was silent for a while, sobbing, before he managed to speak._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We would’ve...would’ve played board games all night…” He let out a few heavy breaths. “Pidge would’ve read all the rules already, and you know, destroyed us all.” Lance laughed a little at that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re funny, Keith. She can’t beat me.” Keith seemed to force a smile and a laugh._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...but she can beat me. You know, I’m not really good at those kind of things, so…” Keith choked down a sob. “So I’m going to need you there.” He gave a small, sad chuckle. “I can’t play board games without you.” Lance smiled, but didn’t comment on that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Then what would we do next?” He asked. Keith rubbed his face against his shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _

______“They made cards. Allura said she wanted to learn Earth card games...we would play cards.” Lance hummed a bit at that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sounds...sounds like a fun party…” He muttered. “...then what would happen?” Keith paused, longer than any of the earlier pauses. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...Hunk would fall asleep. And then...one way or another, it’d be just you and me.” Lance shifted in Keith’s arms._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...I...I like the sound of that…” He looked back into Keith’s eyes. “Then what would happen?” Keith’s entire body shuddered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“W-we...we would pick up cards, but...but only me…” Lance shook his head weakly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s dumb, we’ll pick up cards together.” Keith laughed lightly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s something you would say, huh...okay, we’d pick up cards together.” Lance’s body relaxed upon hearing that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...Keith…” Keith looked at him as he paused to regain his breath. “...then what would happen?” Keith looked taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected more._ _ _ _ _ _

______The battle was raging on behind them, explosions sounding and lighting the sky red. But they didn’t notice any of it. Keith wet his lips and took a deep breath._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Then...we would talk about the party. I would ask if you had a good party…” Lance smiled._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course, I would love the party…” Keith nodded._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...yeah I know you would...you would love the party…” He held Lance closer as they stared at each other._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...then what would happen?” Keith held Lance’s gaze strongly, eyes unwavering for this one moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...we would kiss.” Lance’s eyes widened before his smile got larger. He gave a weak nod in Keith’s arms._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay...then what? Would I tell you…” Keith nodded, cutting Lance off, not wanting him to speak too much._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, you would. And I would too.” Lance began coughing._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And then...and then we could be boyfriends?” Keith nodded more frantically now, tears spilling out from his eyes all over again and onto Lance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, yes of course we would be boyfriends you idiot!” Lance chuckled a bit as his dull blue eyes began closing. Keith panicked. “Lance? Lance!” Lance shifted a bit in Keith’s arms, but didn’t reopen his eyes. Keith began sobbing into Lance’s blood soaked shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mmh...Keith…” Keith’s ears perked, and he brought his face to Lance’s._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Wh-what is it, Lance?” Lance’s eyes opened just a fraction._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I...I don’t think I can wait...for the party...to kiss...want…” Keith understood immediately, just like he always did. He didn’t hesitate as he brought their lips together lightly. Lance tasted blood. He didn’t know if it was his or Keith’s but it didn’t matter to him. All that mattered was that he was able to feel Keith’s feathery lips against his._ _ _ _ _ _

______They kissed for a while before Keith pulled back, tears still steadily streaming down his face. Slowly, Lance’s eyes shut once again as Keith choked down his sobs._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey...” He felt Keith lean close._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What is it, Lance?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...tell Hunk...his throwing up...never...he never bothered me...his food...got me through the day…” Fingers danced against his cheek._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course.” Lance smiled in contentment. His head was going blank. He felt like he was talking to his own consciousness now. Couldn’t remember who was answering him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“What is it, Lance?” He had to wet his mouth a bit to make any noise._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...tell Pidge...mm...little sister...she doesn’t need...doesn’t need those glasses...I would’ve traded places with Matt...so she could have him with her…” Tear drops fell on his cheek._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...I’ll tell her. And we’ll tell Matt all about you when we find him.” Lance nodded, happy upon hearing that. His eyes were still shut as he forced his voice to keep working._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Shiro...it was easier...didn’t feel like...like I was away from m’ familia...he’s...my hero...will you...will you tell him?” There was a choking sound as he felt hands playing with his hair._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah...he knows...but I’ll tell him…you’re his hero, too...” Lance nodded again in satisfaction, feeling his insides swell upon hearing that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...and...Coran...he put up with me and...and would check up on me...first one...first one I opened up to...love him...like a father…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, I’ll tell him, I’ll tell him everything!” There was more sobbing, but those words reassured Lance, and he pushed himself to keep talking._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Allura...she’s so...so strong...never wanted to see her become...become a broken princess...wanted to keep her laughing...make her smile...flirting…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll tell her, she’ll understand! Please, just stay with me…” Lance sighed in relief. Everything was so dark. Despite that, he felt hands stroking his face lovingly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...and...my family...tell them I...I died...protecting the universe…love them…so much…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I will, I promise…!” Tears streaked down Lance’s face, and somehow, he just knew that this time, they were his tears._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And...I...one more...god, please…please one more...”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Anything...I’ll tell anyone anything for you. What is it, Lance?” Lance paused, feeling his tears wetting his cheek._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...Keith. Keith...Keith…” His body shuddered violently, but he ignored the pain and continued talking, feeling blood pool out of his mouth. “Keith...mm...he’s so...so incredible...made school...better...he’s the best at everything...love him...tell him...tell him I love him…” Tears fell on Lance’s cheek, mixing with his own._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...he loves you, too.” Lance felt a smile spread on his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...tell him...Keith...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to annoy him so much…” His body was being held closer now._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He doesn’t care! He never cared!” Lance felt relief strike his heart._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That...that’s good...Keith...tell him I...I’m sorry I never knew how to help him with his problems…” He felt the body shaking against his._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You-you don’t understand! You do! You’re, you’re his everything!” More tears fell down Lance’s face upon hearing that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m happy...but sad...I’m...sorry...mm…” Lance felt cold all around him. “Mmm...sorry...Keith…‘m sorry...wanted...wanted to...to grow old with him…” He couldn’t even feel his own body anymore. All physical feeling was completely gone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“...wanted to...to show him...what it meant...to have a family…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You did...I swear, you did…” Lance shook his head, or at least, he tried to._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Mm...no...wanted to...show him...what it’s like to… to be raised in a family…” Lance felt his breath leaving him. “Wanted to...show him...wanted...raise a family...with him…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Lance...Lance…” Somehow, Lance’s eyes managed to flutter open one last time. He saw Keith’s face pressed close to his, embracing him tightly and desperately as he cried nonstop. Lance smiled weakly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keith...it’s you…” Keith nodded._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course it is...I’ll always be beside you…” Lance breathed in relief, the memory that it was Keith holding his dying body making everything significantly less scary. More memories began refilling his head, like how it was his birthday._ _ _ _ _ _

_Mmm...Blue...are you...there?_

________He heard a soft rumble and smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I want...a birthday wish...please...I wanna...wanna go to that birthday party...wanna relive this day...over and over...my last moments with Keith...want all of it...forever...don’t wanna just...just die… ___

__________The soft rumble sounded again, and Lance relaxed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“...Keith…” He muttered the name of the boy he loved._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What is it, Lance?” Keith managed to breathe out through his crying. Lance sighed, letting go of the last of his breath to make his last request._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Mm…‘m so tired…” His body went limp. “...sing me...to sleep…” There was silent sobbing for a while, but Keith must’ve realized he was on a time limit. He began to rock his and Lance’s bodies before opening his mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Happy birthday to you…” He sniffled, voice broken and cracked, and Lance could hear the voice getting more and more distant. “Happy birthday to you…” Lance let go of his consciousness. “Happy birthday dear Lance…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_His voice is so beautiful...when it’s singing me to sleep… ___

____________“Hap…” Keith’s voice died out completely, as did everything else._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Everything was pitch black, and cold, and...empty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (END ACT 2. PROCEED TO ACT 1)
> 
> So, you should totally listen to this song when you finish reading and think about that scene between Keith and Lance the entire time you’re listening to it.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvz0UxgHydg
> 
> Okay, so, just for anybody who doesn't understand what just happened, basically... Act 2 is the actual beginning of the story. The correct timeline for this story is that Act 2 happens, Lance dies, he asks for Blue to let him relive the day over and over again, wishing to dream about the birthday party. So after Act 2, Act 1 happens, but it's just a dream. But the fact that the story began with Act 1 means we began with Lance already dreaming about the birthday party, meaning we started where he was already dead. He's reliving this day over and over again, including his death, but he doesn't realize it. And I guess 'reliving' isn't the correct term, because he's not 'alive'. He's simply stuck in this cycle forever, because that's what he asked Blue for. But, again, he doesn't know it. So we can assume that Acts 1 & 2 will just keep repeating over and over again for him. So if you want to read it in the correct order of events, go read Act 1 after Act 2 and you'll see he's just dreaming up everything Keith told him. The beginning of Act 1 literally starts off with the ending of Act 2, as you can see at the end of Act 2 Keith sings "Hap..." and then in the beginning of Act 1 he finishes it with "...py birthday to you."


End file.
